Two minicab drivers have been handed jail sentences for forging private hire licences.

Both Masood Sheikh from Walthamstow and Hichem Hamilaoui from Ilford created fake Transport for London (TfL) private hire licences to illegally pick up customers in the capital.

Sheikh, 60, of Millfield Avenue in Higham Hill was sentenced to 16 months imprisonment at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Friday, 15 May, after pleading guilty to two counts of fraud.

Hamilaoui, 44, of Redcliffe Gardens, Ilford was sentenced to eight months imprisonment, suspended for two years.

He also pleaded guilty to both counts.

Both Sheikh and Hamilaoui were arrested after TfL compliance officers visited their operator found that they were operating as minicab drivers, even though their private hire licences had been revoked.

Inspection of their paper licences showed that they were forged and have been used to fraudulently gain employment with cab companies.

Inspector Tracy Allison, Roads and Transport Policing Command, said: “This is an excellent result which has seen two fraudsters receive robust judicial outcomes.

“The partnership between the MPS and TfL has a primary aim to safeguard the public from criminals on the transport network and we will continue to crack down on illegal and unsafe minicabs and encourage people to report illegal activity to us as we always act on this intelligence.”

Garrett Emmerson, Chief Operating Officer for Surface Transport at TfL, said: “Our compliance officers are out and about in London every day and night working to regulate the trade.

“This conviction should hopefully send a message to anyone else thinking that they will get away with this sort of activity that we will find you and work with the police to push for the strongest sentences to stop it happening again.”

Both men will now be subject to separate financial investigations by the MPS under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

Information on illegal activity can be reported here.